1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to hearing aids. The invention further relates to an earpiece for a hearing aid. The invention, more particularly, relates to behind-the-ear hearing aids.
2. The Prior Art
Behind-the-ear (BTE) hearing aids generally comprise a housing, a tube and an earpiece. The housing accommodates electronics, a microphone and a miniature loudspeaker, which serve to pick up sounds, amplify them and produce an amplified acoustic output signal. The tube provides a conduit for conveying the acoustic signal from the housing to the earpiece, and the earpiece couples acoustic energy from the tube into the ear canal. In use, the housing is placed behind the external ear, partially concealed. The tube, or at least a part of it, is semi-rigid or resilient in order that the tube may also serve the purpose of resting the hearing aid on the external ear of the user. The earpiece is adapted, e.g. through resilience or customization, to the users ear, to rest in the meatus of the ear canal.
EP-A-1448014 provides an earpiece adapted to allow sounds from outside the ear to propagate to the tympanic membrane. This earpiece comprises a resilient fiber for abutting a lower part of the concha when the earpiece is inserted in the ear canal.